Monday, September 29, 2014

We have to do both. We should improve our morality (that means that families must be strengthened, we have to work in our communities to assist our people, we should promote righteous codes of conduct for our communities, etc. In other words, we should always treat each other with fairness. There is nothing wrong with working in community, grassroots programs to help our people. I have no issue with the establishment of more independent organizations or groups that deal with assisting black people too) and confront the conditions confronting our people. That means that we also should fight poverty, discrimination, class oppression, racism, and other ills. We have to develop our own lives individually and collectively handle the other issues in our community. It will take a village to solve our problems as an African proverb has proven.
Mentorships, real trades (that deals with building things, analyzing information, and dealing with math plus the sciences), and other actions ought to be promoted in our community in a higher level. We should ally with our people who want results (and seek to develop our economic power via group economics). Some are right that real power can grow via strong morality. We have to be honest in how we got in the condition that we're in and we have to go and be realistic. We should not be nihilists, but I disagree with victim blaming for every problem in the black community. We have a very long way to go, but we have to have hope for the future. In the final analysis, people should do something (like mentoring the youth, working to advance independent schools teaching Brothers & Sisters the truth, working in fighting poverty, working in organizations that are fighting criminal justice issues for real, working to help black people involving health improvement, and establishing infrastructures that can assist the black community for real). We can be creative and use innovation. The disturbing video shows what the truth is (which is that black life is readily mistreated. Houseman is still alive while John Crawford III is dead). Angela's death has been ruled a homicide. Conversely, the life of John Crawford has been blatantly disrespected by the police authorities. The young Brother never deserved to be murdered at all. The cops once again got off in their killing. We have seen this story again and again. The judicial system has been futile & anemic in really holding crooked cops totally accountable for their ridiculously obscene actions. I am in solidarity with the family of John Crawford III.

People should know about the ebola crisis. We see that the large magnitude of the virus deals with the lax infrastructure and the conditions of the health systems. Thousands of people have died and millions are at risk because of the social conditions in many West African nations. These nations have been oppressed and exploited by imperialist powers and neo-colonial forces. Ebola is spread only by direct contact with bodily fluids and self-limited in isolated in rural areas mostly (because of its location). We see that this current epidemic began in rural Guinea and it spread into neighboring Sierra Leone including Liberia. Liberia with its urban communities saw massive victims of ebola too. Its capital city of Monrovia is having the outbreak as well, which is tragic. The local health care systems have been harmed too. Many hospitals in West Africa have been closed, because few resources available for treatment or assistance. These nations are rich in natural resources, but have been ruthlessly exploited by major corporations and the imperialist powers that enforce their interests. Liberia and Sierra Leone have great people who need help. We see British and UN troops occupying Sierra Leone and U.S. Marines landing in Liberia. West Africans don’t need pledges alone. They need donations, supplies, equipment, and healthcare personnel. There has been much more billions of dollars sent to fight ISIS, but only 1 billion dollars sent by the West to West Africa. James Hudson and Sister Jemima Pierre are right to expose how double standards in this situation relate to racism. Many white missionaries have received experimental drugs and are virtually cured, yet such treatment is not sent to the victims over in West Africa in a massive scale (there were courageous African doctors saving lives too like Dr. Sheik Umar Khan from Sierra Leona. He was a great physician, but he was denied the chance by Doctors without Borders to receive the ZMAP experimental drug which was given to 2 white missionaries). These victims are our Brothers and Sisters. To add insult to injury, the U.S. government first announced that a $22-million, 25-bed Ebola hospital was intended for foreign (read: mainly white) healthcare workers. While outrage forced the U.S. to include African health workers in its plans, it was – and has been – clear that African lives don’t matter (in the eyes of racists and extremists). The truth is that black lives do matter. Black human life has been disrespected by the status quo for a long time. There is the cholera situation in Haiti too (as brought by the UN into Haiti during the fall of 2010). The UN has militarily occupied Haiti since 2004. There must be economic justice and freedom in the world.

In life, we should realize what is most important. One weakness of mainstream popular culture is that it is readily obsessed with money and materialism. Materialism can not only destroy the mind and the body, but it can destroy the soul too. We know that an oligarchy has inordinate power in the world. There has been an Elite using their power to not only control as much of society as possible, but to use propaganda as a means to brainwash the masses of the people. This is not just me typing these words. The existence of nefarious coups, political groups influencing society, and economic inequality has been documented by human beings from across the political spectrum. Obviously, we are not totally free. We know that select, big corporations (who are owned by the select, wealthy groups of families like the Rothschilds, the Rockefellers, the Saxe-Coburg Gothas, the Nobility, etc.) use their mass media, the government, Wall Street, etc. to dominate including monopolize the majority of the world’s wealth and natural resources. That is why the one percent has a huge say in the events of Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, etc. We know that many doctors promote a health care system that is dominated by big pharmaceutical companies instead of a single payer system. We realize that some teaching curriculums are not healthy for students. The justice system is heavily corrupted and politicians follow the two party system (which has not built up revolutionary solutions in the world). Many in the mainstream media promote lies and half-truths constantly. The truth is obvious. Many corporate interests want to distort the educational system in America (true education is about people analyzing information and applying it in their lives. True education is about people thinking for themselves. We should be independent, natural, and spontaneous thinkers). The corporate owned media have shown lies in their coverage. We certainly know that Hollywood movies, the industry, and TV programming show propaganda, social engineering, and other parts of the elite’s agenda constantly. Big Pharma has a huge say in our current healthcare system. We have a corporate oligarchy and not a true democratic free society. Our environment (including our air, water, and Earth) has been poisoned by toxic foods, chemicals in the water, GMOs, etc. The big banks have used the current economic system to promote austerity, credit card companies, etc. to harm the economic rights of the masses of the people. That is why we need to express courage in opposing injustice. We can dream and not only dream. We need strategies, a program, and action too. The ancients knew of true wisdom and this wisdom has been suppressed heavily by the establishment, so the common people can’t witness it or use it to liberate themselves. The ancients readily were off the grid, they use volunteering to help people, they started their own revolutionary changes, many of the ancients rejected imperialism, they respected Nature, they worked as a community to develop families, and they had other wisdom that we can believe in today. Life is about improvement, it is about the love of humanity, and it is about working to help Nature and the world in general.

The “culture of poverty” motif has been used by some as a slick code word to promote not only racism, but class oppression as well. The culture of poverty lie deals with the lie that black culture (not the economic oppression, racism, discrimination, etc.) is to be blamed for the situation in the black community. It is rather silly to blame black culture or cultural pathologies for oppression. Reactionaries ignore the history of racial oppression as a means to falsely blame the black poor for their own suffering. Sociologists and other scholars like Donald Braman prove that families of prisoners feel shame not joy over their loved ones being incarcerated. No real person is happy to glamorize the brutality of prison life. In fact, recent research by Ivory Toldson suggests that it is white male students who express the most ambivalence about the impact of good grades on their social standing. By contrast, 95 percent of Black female students reported that, if they did really well in school, they would be proud and tell all of their friends about it. Similarly, Black students were most likely to report that their friends would be happier if they went TO COLLEGE than if they didn't. Most white students said their friends wouldn't care either way. It is not just the Tea Party crowd talking about pound cake and blaming the poor for their own plight, but many Democrats too. Mass incarceration, joblessness in American cities, and poverty must be addressed. There is the myth of the black unemployed collectively don’t want to find work. Since the 1960s, social scientists have produced study after study demonstrating that poor and unemployed black Americans have basically the same attitudes towards work as the rest of country. In fact, a recent study found that Black job seekers are even more resilient than their white counterparts, staying in the job market longer despite persistent frustrations of their search for employment. We know that most black fathers and most black mothers are involved in the lives of their children regardless if their families are nuclear or not. We know that most people on welfare suffer problems, they work heavily, and factors like discrimination & joblessness contributes to some getting welfare (not because of laziness). We have to do more than to build families, promote real education, and believe in ethics. There must be full employment, a creation of a program for redistributive solutions, a strengthening of anti-discrimination measures, advance equal access to health care, and deal with social conditions of society. You can speak perfect English, exist from a nuclear family, follow the rules of mainstream society, etc. and you can still be oppressed by the same oppressive system. The culture of poverty narrative is not only false, but it doesn’t solve the problems of our communities either. It is Western capitalism that caused massive inequalities of Western society not the victims of oppression. We need revolutionary solutions.

It should be obvious to anyone that the criminal justice system is unfair to black people. There has been so much documented evidence of unfair sentencing practices against black people, of black people being brutalized, and of the epidemic of police brutality that a vast majority of Americans (beyond 51%) should believe that the criminal justice system is heavily unfair to black people. The reality is that the one percent knows what they do. At this point, we certainly need strategies, plans, and action. It is highly immoral to blame the victims of oppression collectively for their oppression. The system is a disgrace and that is why people day in and day out are fighting against not only the War on Drugs, but against the injustices found in the prison industrial complex too. Black people have the right to stand up against corruption and injustice. We certainly have a very long way to go, but we should not use that as an excuse to embrace apathy or defeat. Our ancestors suffered a lot worse than we suffer today. Therefore, we should carry onward and fight the good fight continuously. Regardless of how people feel about the President or Eric Holder, that doesn’t escape our responsibility to mentor people, to stand up for our human rights, to defend our people, and to be active in creating solutions. One lesson of the Freedom Movement decades ago is that it proved how powerful grassroots community organization was. That same spirit of cooperation among each other (as a community since it will take a village to solve our issues) should exist in a higher level in our time too. We should not only stand up for voting rights. We should speak out against corporate greed and how unfair subsidies have benefited massive multinational corporations while the poor suffer economic injustices. Before Dr. King was assassinated, he was fighting for economic justice (for Memphis sanitation workers and for people in general). There can be no real, meaningful change in society unless discrimination and poverty are addressed fully. This is what our Brothers and our Sisters back decades ago wanted (from Fannie Lou Hamer to Ella Baker). Claudette Colvin is a great hero and more people should know about her (and her courage in the fight for freedom).

You feel flabbergasted at the rhetoric. The West says that they are fighting for freedom and democratic values, but they ally with royal, authoritarian tyrannies as found in the UAE, Saudi Arabia (with rules which legalizes the beheading of people), etc. The West refuses to end its repressive laws which violate the RIGHTS of its citizens. ISIS came after the Iraqi occupation. ISIS is a wicked, reactionary organization obviously. ISIS evolved from Al-Qaeda and the originators of Al-Qaeda have been funded by Western intelligence. Terrorists for a long time from the Nazis (You can look up Operation Paperclip) to Libyan terrorists have been aided by some members of Western intelligence. The Iraqi invasion and occupation exacerbated the tensions among Sunnis and Shias. The Shia leaders used an autocratic regime and that regime has resulted in the growth of ISIS. The U.S. also aided Syrian terrorists who try to overthrow Assad. Assad is not perfect, but it is hypocritical to aid overt terrorists in trying to oppose Bashar Al-Assad. The big monarchies who aid the West ally with big oil conglomerates too. As we see the 100th year anniversary of the start of WWI (which was an inter-imperialist war), we witness more militarism based on deception and hypocrisy.

Marquis Govan is an inspirational person. He made great points. What the people of Ferguson don’t need is unfair scapegoating and them being smeared with vile stereotypes. What they need is solidarity, respect, and support for them to carry out their own aspirations. The events in Ferguson are historic. The events there further document the militarization of the POLICE, but not only that. It confirms that police brutality and the repression of the rights of protesters are not isolated incidents. They are national and global epidemics. This problem can never be solved unless race, class, and poverty are discussed and real solutions are formulated. Racial discrimination is not the only problem in Ferguson and in communities nationwide. There is also the issue of class oppression where many workers suffer low wages, lax job opportunities, and a sense of despair. That must change. Many people are poor not because of laziness, but because of being laid off or by no fault of their own. Poor blaming is just as ignorant as ignoring economic inequality. Freedom deals with political independence and we have the subsequent RIGHT to be political independents. People’s elemental and essential RIGHT to protest should be maintained in any society. There are many legitimate organizations in Ferguson, who are doing the right thing. We have to reject selfish individualism and embrace altruistic actions. It is a shame that the Michael Brown memorial was burned. Now, justice is still elusive for Michael Brown's family and for freedom loving people in the world. The total truth should be known about the memorial situation. We should never lose hope though. Evil people want us to lose hope and to be permanently pessimistic, but I will not. Back centuries ago, our ancestors were in chains, but they had hope to be free. Not only were many slave revolts transpired, but black people in the Americas ended overt physical slavery. Some people believe that the Birmingham Boycott would not be successful, but it was. So, giving up should never be part of anyone's vocabulary. We ought to CONTINUE to fight for justice, oppose police brutality, and to continue to defend Michael Brown's family who is standing up courageous for justice.

I believe that people have the right to vote and that people should be registered to vote, but why would we want to do the same thing over and over again and get the same result. In my opinion, we should mostly focus on state and local elections, because they have a much more direct effect on us. I won't be a Republican (or a Tea Party person, because of my political views. People know my political views), but we should be more politically independent. These are great points that you have made. It is obviously true that the two corporate-funded parties have massive similarities than some would let on. There has been a more reactionary turn of the Democratic Party in the past three decades in my opinion. We know how the Republicans are. Enough said. You can see the foreign policy of both of the major parties as nearly identical for example. That is another great point about the Presidents being selected. The Electoral College (not the people using their votes directly) has the final say on who is selected as President of the United States. We should be educated on our local and state candidates, so voting can be truly effectively. Also, if you don’t vote, you surely won’t die. LOL. Therefore, voting is fine, but it is not enough. I have no issue with additional grassroots community organization including community based programs and other solutions to help Brothers and Sisters. Our black communities deserve respect and empowerment. Bill Clinton passed through the Crime Bill, expanded the War on Drugs, supported NAFTA, and has thrown Sistah Soujah under the bus. Therefore, no party is perfect nor is divine. Bush was worse than Clinton, but I don't worship mainstream parties. I know the origins of the Republican and the Democratic Party. Black people, etc. have the right to vote. Black people have the right to register to be Independents. I said that black people should promote strong accountability among both parties. The struggle continues, but I will never lose hope. When there was Democratic majorities in Congress along with the Presidency back in 2009-2010, nothing radical or revolutionary changed in America. Many of the current policies going on now are nearly identical to the status quo of other Presidents. Net Neutrality, the war on terror, NDAA, the Patriot Act, and the Wall Street bailouts have been supported by both corporate parties. There is no refutation of that. That is a fact. That is why it is wise for people to vote in their state and local elections. People have the right to vote on the Congressional level as well. People should be active, but people should not be played for fools. People have every right to have independent thinking on issues.

One thing is true about Attorney General Eric Holder. People have diverse opinions about him. There are legitimate critiques about him (on the issue of the assassination of American citizens without due process of law, on no major Wall Street banker being prosecuted, and other issues), but he is right on many issues. He is right to oppose many of the restrictive voter ID laws and he is right to disagree with the gutting of the Voting Rights Act. Holder was right to oppose Arizona's SB 1070. The Tea Party reactionaries hated on him and I reject their ideologies completely. The overarching theme is that we have work to do. The struggle is not over. We are still fighting not only against mass incarceration and the War on Drugs. We are also fighting against police brutality, poverty, and economic oppression. Therefore, we must not only discuss about these issues, but we have to be part of the solution as well. I don’t hate the man at all. I wish Eric Holder the best in his life. I wish the best for his family too. Experts have opposed the Wisconsin voter ID law for many reasons. For years, we have seen various laws (in numerous states) that seek to restrict voting rights, restrict the times in which people can vote, and they have other reactionary measures. The Supreme Court has delayed the implementation of a voting law until after the election before, because of voter confusion, and conflicting orders. The Wisconsin voter ID law restricts any veteran from voting if they only have a veteran’s administration ID card from voting. Wisconsin considers such identification unacceptable. Eddie Lee Holloway Jr. and others have difficulty voting now in Wisconsin. Therefore, the activists are right that such voter ID laws should be defeated. Not to mention that many black people use many government benefits for a temporary period of time. Even SNAP benefits can last for a few months to three years. These benefits are not even literal handouts since people have to sign documents and do other procedures in order for them to receive such benefits. Many people who have SNAP work. In fact, more than half of SNAP recipients are children or the elderly. For the remaining working-age individuals, many of them are currently employed. White racist lies are commonplace Sister. Yet, black people are resilient and we will persist onward. The truth is always better than fiction.

The elections of 2014 are comings in South Africa. We have seen 20 years since Nelson Mandela was elected as the first black President of South Africa. To this day, South African workers are fighting for a substantial wage increase. The bourgeois, nationalist, and reformist African National Congress had won the elections. We know about the massacre (by the police) of the South African striking workers at Marikana in 2012. Jacob Zuma is using the party’s 62 percent as a means to go ahead with the neo-liberal attacks as outlined in the National Development Plan or NDP. This is while secretary general Gwede Mantashe and other ANC leaders promptly convened a press conference to solemnly vow that they would “quickly restore investor confidence.” The police continue to resist the actions of the Associations of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) who want freedom. The mineworkers are fighting for a living wage of R12,500 [$1,143 per month]. The evil system of apartheid in South Africa was over and it has been replaced with bourgeois, neo-liberal government. The ANC, the SACP, and COSATU are allies. The August 2012 massacre of 34 black mineworkers should inspire anyone that more work has to be done in making South Africa a better nation. In e-mails to Lonmin’s chief commercial officer, Albert Jamieson, Ramaphosa reported on 15 August 2012 about the appeals he had made to mining minister Susan Shabangu and POLICE minister Nathi Mthethwa for government intervention against the wildcat strike. One outcome was that a meeting of Zuma’s cabinet was held the same day, where Ramaphosa had urged Shabangu to brief the president and “get [Mthethwa] to act in a more pointed way” (“Deja Vu and Dirty Tricks at Lonmin,” 25 May, bdlive.co.za). Less than 24 hours later, the Lonmin strikers were gunned down in cold blood by Zuma’s and Mthethwa’s cop thugs. Several months later, Ramaphosa was rewarded by the bourgeois ANC when he was elected deputy president of the party at its December 2012 congress in Mangaung; after the 2014 elections, he was also made deputy president of the country. The IMF and the World Bank has aided South African capitalism during the 1990’s. Now, there are numerous ANC, SACP, and COSATU members who are sincere and want justice for real. So, I want to make that perfectly clear. The only way for true change in South Africa is for a revolution to occur where the government is worker-centered and people-centered. South Africa is strong and Bless Africa too.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

We as black people may live across the continents, but we are on people. African unity is important to embrace. That is why I have no problems with people advancing black African global unity socially, politically, economically, and romantically (as there is an increase of couples between Africans and African Americans. Black Love is so beautiful. :) ). That's fine. Some want to promote business development plans among Africans throughout the Earth. Now, any economic enterprises in Africa should never mimic or imitate neo-colonialism, imperialism, or predatory, parasitic capitalism at all. True economic development in Africa is based on meeting the needs and concerns of the masses of the people. The vast resources found in Africa (from cobalt to other minerals) belong to all of the people of Africa not the multinational corporations of the world (and not the 1 percent especially). What is called socialism today has been practiced by the peoples of Africa for thousands of years. The concepts of socialism or any other economic philosophy based on cooperation among communities is nothing new. Nothing is new under the sun. We need a transformation in society. We see how imperialism, capitalism, racism, and militarized are intricately interconnected. I believe that people have the right to vote and that people should be REGISTERED to vote, but why would we want to do the same thing over and over again and get the same result. In my opinion, we should mostly focus on state and local elections, because they have a much more direct effect on us. I won't be a Republican (or a Tea Party person, because of my political views. People know my political views), but we should be more politically independent. I have no issue with additional grassroots community organization including community based PROGRAMS and other solutions to help Brothers and Sisters. Our black communities deserve respect and empowerment.

There is a massive obstruction of justice in Ferguson. Justice for Michael Brown has been delayed so far. St. Louis County officials are not doing all that they can to promote real justice. Michael Brown was gunned down by police officer Darren Wilson. We know what the crime is. The assailant admitted that he killed Michael Brown. Not to mention that the victim was unarmed and witnesses say that Brown had his hands in the air when he was shot. There is more than enough evidence to arrest and indict Darren Wilson. Probable cause can cause people to be arrested and that is enough to arrest a police officer. Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch said that when the grand jury convenes to consider the case, he would take the unusual step of not recommending a specific charge. Instead, McCulloch says, he will present all the evidence gathered about the shooting--and let the grand jury decide whether any charges should be forthcoming. There must be at least nine of the 12 members of the grand jury to vote in favor of an indictment in order for an indictment to take place. We know that the city of Ferguson is mostly black, but there are only 3 black people on the panel. The grand jury must decide on January 7 as a means to decide whether to charge Wilson or not. McCulloch to not recommend specific charges is unusual. All in all, says DEFENSE LAWYER and St. Louis University law professor Susan McGraugh, McCulloch may be looking for "cover," which he can "get by sharing the responsibility with the grand jury...So when the public reacts to what does or does not happen, they can go back to the fact that the grand jury played a large role in the decision. They can say, 'We let these jurors, who are your peers, hear what witnesses had to say. This was their decision.'" McCulloch is known for scant interest in prosecuting cases involving fatal shootings by the police. In one case, police shot two Black men 21 times while they sat in their car during a botched drug bust. One of the men wasn't even a suspect. Even so, the grand jury refused to indict--and McCulloch agreed with the decision, calling the dead men "bums" and refusing to release surveillance tape of the shooting. Police claimed the men had tried to avoid arrest by driving their car toward officers--however, it later turned out that cops lied and the car hadn't moved. So, Bob McCulloch is part of the St. Louis injustice system.

We all remember looking at the Cosby Show when we were young. I was in elementary school during the last season of the Cosby show. It not only presented grace, black culture, and the strength of family in general on television. The show certainly inspired people irrespective of race or class. Black people are diverse. The classic show showed great music, and it had universal appeal. In the final analysis, to be black is to be human and the Cosby show represented the greatness of the human experience. Phylicia Rashad has been a class act for decades. She is a great Sister, a role model, and a legend. :) The Cosby Show set such a standard that no future family sitcom show will be like the Cosby Show. The Cosby Show is very special since the family danced to music, Bill Cosby ran track on the show, and their relatives had fun. The show showed the wide spectrum of human emotions from humor, joy, sadness, anger, and to happiness. It touched not only on middle class issues, but on apartheid, music, peer pressure, and other themes that people go through universally. There is only one Clair Huxtable and Heathcliff Huxtable. That is a great list about excellent TV moms and dads Sister. Esther Role and John Amos have incredible talent too. The Cosby Show and Good Times show different sides to the black experience (based on class, etc.), but they were unified in the love of family, the love of humanity, and the resiliency of the black family experience in general. We are a resilient people. We survived centuries of the Maafa, slavery, Jim Crow, etc. So, we will survive. Bill Cosby ironically was raised poor, but grew up into a wealthier life. So, he knew about the struggles of people. He knew how the poor lived, how the middle class lived, etc. Therefore, he created the Cosby Show as a means for people to break down the faulty biases that some had of black family life. Many people of numerous colors saw how a black family has the same issues, strengths, problems, and joy as any other family. Bill Cosby is a genius in how to tap into human social interactions as a means to make his show very valuable and very insightful. Esther Role and John Amos reminded people of strong fathers and strong mothers in poorer communities nationwide too. Goodtimes documented the truth that just because someone is poor, doesn’t mean that they are criminal, deceptive, or abrasive. Decent people exist across classes. I am also glad that both shows presented to the world how strong and important the FAMILY UNIT is. The Cosby Show did not show every aspect of black life, but it did accurately depict a certain segment of black life. The Cosby Show is very popular. There are many of its episodes shown on Centric.

During the era of Jesus Christ was one of the most controversial eras of the Middle East. The Parthian and Roman Empires governed Mesopotamia, Iran, etc. The Arabian Kingdoms grew in size plus power and they traded with the black African peoples of Nubia and the Kingdom of Axum. The Jewish people were not only found in Judaea (or Israel today), but they existed in Africa, Asia, and Europe by the time of Augustus. Yeshua was a revolutionary rabbi who taught love, peace, and that the Kingdom of God was at hand. To Christians, he is the Messiah (the Son of God). To Muslims, he was a great prophet. To those who followed Judaism, he was a leader, but not the Messiah. Yet, Yeshua was a person who will be very famous and debated long after 33 A.D. I believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and the Son of God. Rebellions existed in Israel when Jewish people rebelled against Roman Empire tyranny. I do believe that the “angry black woman” label has been used by some to degrade black women. Just because a black woman is strong, intelligent, confident, and upright, doesn’t mean that she is angry. The author of the NY Times piece can indeed fairly critique the show without using the angry black woman motif. That is my view. Shonda Rhimes is a very talented person and people have the right to agree with her or not. Also, another point is to be made. We need more fair shows about our people. Too many shows today present black people either in a negative light, objects for exploitation, or in the form of caricatures. It is very rare in our generation to see shows that presents black people in general as thoughtful, intelligent, moral, caring, sharing, and competent human beings. We need more shows that show black men and black women caring for each other, loving each other, and respecting each other. Yet, that is too taboo for some to embrace unfortunately. We need more shows like the Cosby Show, A Different World, Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Roc, Moesha, Parent Hood, etc.

The truth about this issue is known in plain fashion. Roland Martin is right on this issue. It is obvious that Enough is Enough. If a man or anyone sees a woman or female being mistreated, then that person has the right to speak up about it and stand up for black females. We see the truth in plain view. We should always view a black woman being mistreated as equivalent to someone mistreating our mothers. We won't stand for anyone being disrespectful to our mothers and we should never stand for any other Sister being mistreated either. There has been less coverage (shown by the media) about black women being missing than white women being missing. Black women day by day do suffer discrimination, pay inequalities, sexual harassment, and other injustices. No one should ignore this issue or minimize how black women have suffered not only in America but worldwide. There must be a revolutionary change in the world. Black men suffer in society too in real life, but this story is about society’s treatment of black women. Domestic violence is a global epidemic. No one can be a revolutionary and support domestic violence. You can’t love black women if you call black women out of their names, slander black women, and believe in perverted, false stereotypes about black women. Since, we are one people; we can’t be free totally unless black women are liberated too. Black men should do more to not only defend black women, but fight back against the evils that harm both black men and black women. No gender should be mistreated at all. There is no way that we can have justice unless black women have justice too. The family of Michael Brown deserves all of the support in the world. Their courage and their motivating words of fighting for justice should inspire us all. If they want to push for body cameras for cops, then that is their right as concerned citizens who want a change in society. There is nothing wrong with body cameras on cops at all. Freedom loving people globally support the legitimate efforts of the Michael Brown family completely. Yes, WE WILL NOT BE SILENT.

VALUES Revolution is not merely the process of altering the shape of the political or economic structure of society. It involves a radical transvaluation of values. It is interesting that revolutionary thinkers as diverse as Frantz Fanon, Herbert Marcuse, Emma Goldman, and Martin Luther KIng, Jr. all call for a revolution of values, and a fundamental transformation of interhuman relations. Fanon's speaks of the emergence of the "new man." Marcuse speaks of a radical change in our ways of seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking and imagining. Malcolm X, focusing on the specifics of Black American, talks about the need for a "cultural revolution" to de-brainwash, decolonized millions of Black people. Truth be told, whites may be even MORE in need of mental liberation than we. But the need in some shape or form is universal. We must reshape our personal lives and our social existence. Otherwise, the "revolution " becomes more or less the same old crap in a different guise.

-Savant

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Only in your imagination, not in the real world. Systematic studies of the media have exposed the anti-Black bias over and over again. So, that's not even news.
There have been DECADES of studies which show the anti-Black bias in the media. Check out some of the works of Thomas Cripps.

-Savant

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When fascism comes to a society from without it is mainly by means of conquest. German fascism which you mention in the Netherlands would be an example of that. There is no Jihadist regime that can conquer a European country nowadays. There's no predominantly Muslim country that can conquer Europe the USA. That's simply not real. I do fear for the people of Iraq if isis should TAKE power. I'm not fearful of jihadists taking power in France or the USA. Whether the National Front fascism is preferable to Jihadist fascism is an interesting issue, perhaps. With atrocities by Jean-Marie Le Pen (and others) in Algeria actually rivaling those of ISIS, it is at least debatable which would be worse. But the debate may be "academic " in the worst sense of the word. Jihadism CAN happen a number of Middle Eastern countries. And a form of Gallic or Yankee fascism can happen in France or the USA. The National Front is not committing atrocities in Iraq, though I'm sure they wouldn't doing so. Political and racist repression is not being inflicted here (for example, inn Ferguson) by Muslim extremists. The threat the Muslim extremists can offer to democratic life in America and Europe is to serve as boogeymen stoking the fires of Islamophobia (which easily shades into ethnocentrism and racism) which better enables our homegrown reactionaries to impose their own fascist agenda. They can't CONQUER the West as the Turks conquered Greece and the Saracens conquered Spain.. They can do outrageous acts of terror which create a climate favorable for domestic fascism. And that DOES scare me. And I'm not so sure the West--or at least Western elites-- are so naive. They deliberately PROVOKED militant Islamicism against Mosadegh, and later against the Soviets. They've been in bed with Islamicists over there just as they promote rightist Christian fundamentalism (also fascistic) over here when it suited their purpose. I wouldn't put anything past the plutocratic despots

-Savant

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KING ON YOUTUBE As many of you know, I've a very low opinion of Youtube and usually disregard anyone who refers to it as evidence for anything in a discussion or debate. But one does sometimes fnd a few pearls among swine. I would recommend folk look at Youtube clip called "The REVOLUTIONARY MLK." That involves, if I recall correctly, an interview with Professor Jared Ball of Morgan State University. And there are other interesting clips entitled "The Radicalization of Martin Luther King" and "Martin Luther King's Legacy and the Black Elite." More importantly, you can find speeches by Dr. King himself, or Malcolm X, or Stokely Carmichael, Rap Brown, Angela Davis, Fred Hampton and others. So, if you are SELECTIVE about what you tune into--avoiding that Tommy Sotomayor trash--you can find some things of value.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

One ought to be very careful now. If you argue that France, or the US or Western Europe generally is ALREADY Fascist, then there's no point in calling on people to resist the rising tide of fascism. If we're already have fascism then the practical necessity must be to go underground, and perhaps prepared for a popular armed struggle against the totalitarian state (and the criminal 1% who imposed it on us). And I wouldn't be too sure that the National Front won't be worst than Sarkhozy reactionary administration. The problem is that the National Front represents a kind of fascism that is POSSIBLE in France. Jihadism may be a fascism that could happen in Turkey or in a good number of Middle Eastern states. If I were a citizen of one of those lands with more or less the same kind of social consciousness I now have, I'd be warning my fellow citizens about the dangers of Jihadism--and imperialism (the two have worked together more often than many of us suspect). But you are misleading people if you have them believe that an Al Qaeda or ISIS type regime can happen in France or the USA. When Fascism takes root it always makes use of themes in the cultural tradition native to the host society. Spain called up images of the great Spanish kings and even the Crusades (which didn't stop them from turning Moroccan colonial troops, mainly Muslim, against the Spanish Republic.). Jihadism has no roots in the national cultures of France or the USA. And an American fascism would more likely draw upon the cultural resources of Christian fundamentalism. (of course, an alliance between Christian and Muslim fundamentalists might also be an option. Jihadism simply is not). We must oppose ALL fascism, but do not oversimplify. Not even Italy and German had precisely the same fascism, though similar in many important respect. The West can't have the kind of Jihadist fascism that threatens the Middle East. People must oppose all fascism, but be especially prepared to face the fascism than CAN happen in their country, and which is already in progress. If the National Front could gain FULL power in France, the land of Voltaire would become a totalitarian state.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Abusive behavior exists in the sports arena and outside of it. Domestic violence is an epidemic and it has been part of American society for centuries. There must be awareness on this issue. There must be a change where victims have justice and the guilty are truly made accountable for their own actions. Any form of domestic violence done against any gender is wrong. Both women and men, who are the victims of domestic violence, should be encouraged, assisted, and given great support. I don’t believe that abusive behavior necessarily starts in high school. People have done abuse because of many reasons and I don’t believe that every high school should be scapegoated for CRIMINAL, immoral behavior. Some people confuse legitimate, aggressive action (like building, teaching, standing up against injustice, speaking the truth with power, etc.) with obscene, unjust abuse. Abuse is evil. Also, people have to control their anger and make the right choices. It is better to walk away, ignore ignorance, etc. than to do evil. Programs should exist in not only schools or professional athletic organizations, but in society at all. Yes, many racists are exploiting the current news as a means to falsely scapegoat black men collectively for the ills of America. Yet, domestic violence is still immoral no matter who does it. If a male does it, he is wrong. If a female does it, she is wrong. We have to be consistent in our convictions. Also, William Rhoden’s “Forty Million Dollar Slaves” is an excellent BOOK too. I recommend it. Experts have opposed the Wisconsin voter ID law for many reasons. For years, we have seen various laws (in numerous states) that seek to restrict voting rights, restrict the times in which people can vote, and they have other reactionary measures. The Supreme Court has delayed the implementation of a voting law until after the election before, because of voter confusion, and conflicting orders. The Wisconsin voter ID law restricts any veteran from voting if they only have a veteran’s administration ID card from voting. Wisconsin considers such identification unacceptable. Eddie Lee Holloway Jr. and others have difficulty voting now in Wisconsin. Therefore, the activists are right that such voter ID laws should be defeated.

It is not a secret how many Republicans like Russell Pearce think about us. He was the same person who condemned any course relating to study African American culture, Hispanic American culture, etc. involving ethnic studies in Arizona. Pearce is known to embrace xenophobic and other bigoted ideologies. Of course, he had no choice, but to resign, because for him to suggest of sterilizing women is evil and unjust. Misogyny and poor scapegoating ought to be repudiated completely. Too many people have some simplistic interpretation of poverty instead of viewing it as having complex factors. Poverty can never be fixed with a get rich quick scheme. Poverty can be solved with the structures of society changed and when other populist, revolutionary actions are instituted. It has been the super-rich that have readily experienced corporate subsidies, record TAX BREAKS, record bailouts, and other economic policies in the form of corporate welfare. Yes, some forget about the Homestead Act that gave GOVERNMENT MONEY to immigrants. They were not only given farming tools, but housing and other benefits. The New Deal was a huge government program which many benefits were to people and New Deal policies readily discriminated against African Americans, which you are very accurate to describe. Our ancestors worked in this land without pay for centuries via slavery, bondage, and injustice. So, we, as black people, should never be lectured about laziness at all. We have been very hardworking and we continue to work hard in the world. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. definitely changed by the late 1960's. He spoke in a more revolutionary voice. That is why the leadership of the NAACP criticized him, because he opposed the Vietnam War. He wanted to go and create his Poor Peoples Campaign to make sure that the poor received their rightful economic justice. It is one thing for him to protest and talk about laws being changed, but when he questioned the whole economic order and he galvanized a mass amount of people to fight for change, and then he was a threat to the establishment. Many of the misleadership class support apartheid policies, blame the victims of oppression for their own oppression, austerity, and a glamorization of materialism to put it lightly. In every generation, you will find fake leaders and real leaders. There is still a remnant of black people who are fighting the good fight. The problem is that those who are not in league with justice, in a lot of occasions, are more overtly vocal about their agenda. That is why it is easy to go with the flow, but it does take real courage to speak the truth even when the truth is unpopular.

Unjust violence must be opposed in Chicago and worldwide. I don’t know all of the details of the shooting of Denzel Ford. I can accept the truth and regardless, the family plus the friends of Denzel Ford need comfort and compassion. There is no one size fit all solution to this problem. Yes, families should be improved in America, but more than that must be done. Many communities in Chicago suffer as a product of manufacturing jobs leaving, infrastructure crumbling (via deindustrialization and austerity policies), and an unstable economic situation.
Therefore, there must be a combination of us improving our communities (stronger families are needed, which is just commonsense) and the rebuilding of the infrastructure of Chicago. We see how RECORD SCHOOL closings haven’t work. Communities must institute more independent solutions where people have opportunities, jobs, and a means to be empowered. Police brutality and any form of violence in Chicago must be exposed and opposed. Macro-level and micro-level solutions must be established. I do believe that the “angry black woman” label has been used by some to degrade black women. Just because a black woman is strong, intelligent, confident, and upright, doesn’t mean that she is angry. The author of the NY Times piece can indeed fairly critique the show without using the angry black woman motif. That is my view. Shonda Rhimes is a very talented person and people have the right to agree with her or not. Also, another point is to be made. We need more fair shows about our people. Too many shows today present black people either in a negative light, objects for exploitation, or in the form of caricatures. It is very rare in our generation to see shows that presents black people in general as thoughtful, intelligent, moral, caring, sharing, and competent human beings. We need more shows that show black men and black women caring for each other, loving each other, and respecting each other. Yet, that is too taboo for some to embrace unfortunately. We need more shows like the Cosby Show, A Different World, Hangin with Mr. Cooper, Roc, Moesha, Parent Hood, etc.

We should have revolutionary thinking. One basic point of revolutionary thinking is that we should always be opposed to fascism. Progressive forces defeated Hitler, Franco, Mussolini, and other enemies of humanity. Reactionaries exploit the blatant immoral actions of ISIS and other extremists as an excuse to promote chilling dissent and promote proto-fascist policies in the West. Many reactionaries want a more theocratic society when we need democratic rights protected in the world. I have with no issue with people advocating the formation of communes and cooperatives. Cooperative institutions, community banks, and other independent solutions are necessary to express the negation of capitalism even before capitalism is utterly vanquished. Democratic governance in our communities is a great means where people (who are poor, working class, and middle class) can have great access to political and economic power. Frantz Fanon was active in supporting the Algerian revolution against the imperialist French. Women were key members of the Algerian Revolution and revolutions throughout Africa. Fanon said that he had just been to Guinea, Mali, and Senegal where African women are to be found in the marketplace in public life operating quite freely. So, the point is that the liberation of women is key to the liberation of everyone in the human race in general. Many heroic people stood up for real causes. Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas fought against slavery. Marcus Garvey believed in black social consciousness. WEB DuBois opposed imperialism and economic injustice. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. disagreed with the Vietnam War and wanted justice for humanity. Angela Davis exposed the prison industrial complex. It is a fact that the evils of the prison industrial complex, poverty, racist violence, and economic exploitation are interrelated.

Attorney General Eric Holder has spoken words that people have heard before. There can be no change really unless Ferguson is changed in a positive, revolutionary direction. The cop who killed Michael Brown should be indicted. The police, who utilized para-militarized weapons, against innocent, peaceful protesters executed an overt injustice. Despite more than a dozen police killings in St. Louis County since he became prosecutor, McCulloch has never filed CRIMINAL charges against any of the officers. McCulloch did present four of such cases to the grand jury, but to no one’s surprise he obtained no indictments. Holder can do something. He can call for any officer involved in illegally harming Ferguson residents to be ARRESTED, tried, and convicted. He can speak in favor of ending unfair minimum sentencing laws and call for the end of the War on Drugs. He needs to call police misconduct as what it is. It is nothing more than terrorism done by the crooked police against the people. Racial bias, discrimination, and oppression have been systemic and deeply rooted in society. We see hypocrisy in this, because on the one hand, the DOJ claims to be serious of this issue, but Holder supports drone assassinations even if they are against American citizens without due process of law. People deserve true freedom (that means that Ferguson citizens are entitled to economic justice), not token measures or just talk. Evil people falsely see strength as dealing with brutality, negative agitation, slander, and hatreds. Yet, true strength is about spiritual growth, discernment, standing up against evil, continuing onward in life, and embracing love. We are all strong and we want the best for our people.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

The action by the Lancaster New Era newspaper is unjustified
and unconscionable. The Maafa and slavery are atrocities and abominations. Not
only were people kidnapped and brutalized. People experience rape, murder,
abuse, other forms of human degradation, and other unspeakable crimes which I
can’t even type here. Therefore, the newspaper ought to know better than to
compare any modern flight experience to the wicked brutality that black
Africans have suffered in slave ships. Too many people want to not only
sanitize slavery, but to minimize how evil it was. We also have to know that
black people rebelled too. Black people rebelled against the Maafa in Africa,
in the slave ships, in the Americas, and in other places of the world. Black
people fought back against oppressors constantly. We have to know about this
history. We have to know about Charles Deslondes (who lead the 1811 slave
rebellion), about Cinque (who was involved in fighting for freedom in Amistad),
about Sam Sharpe, about Harriet Tubman, about Celia, about Gaspar Yanga, about Toussaint,
and about other heroes. The courage, the strength, the resiliency, and the
persistent of our ancestors should never be forgotten. White racism is a true
scourge and it must be condemned and any injustice ought to be oppressed
concretely. Our struggle for justice and freedom is sacrosanct. We certainly
need revolutionary change in order for us to be free. That is monumental truism
that I wholeheartedly accept in my mind, body, and spirit as a black man. The
mainstream media in the West is controlled heavily by less than 10 media
conglomerates. So, the media showing distortion, misinformation, propaganda,
etc. about human beings, especially about black people is common knowledge. The
mainstream media (which serves the interests of the ruling class. Operation
Mockingbird was a CIA PROGRAM whose goal was to allow the CIA to infiltrate the
media in general) will not readily show courageous black slavery revolts or
many black people making huge accomplishments in society presently. Much of the
mainstream media got it wrong on information relating to the 2003 Iraq War.
That is why alternative voices and alternative black media are necessary, so
our real story, our real history, and our real culture is readily known among
our communities worldwide (since we are global people. There are black people
living in Brazil, America, Europe, Asia, Africa, etc.).

There has been the talk about ISIS. The House voted to
support airstrikes in Syria. ISIS evolved from al-Qaeda and the policies of
Western imperialism. The President said that he wants to destroy ISIS
completely. He also wants the President Bashar Assad to end his rule of Syria,
but many terrorists are fighting Assad too. Many in Congress want to go along
with a policy to destroy one state in Syria when the Syrian government is no
direct threat to America. ISIS wants a caliphate within the borders of Syria
and Iraq. They want to battle America. The White House is trying to build up a
new coalition that is willing to fight ISIS. Many of the coalition member
nations were co-conspirators with America in giving birth to ISIS either
directly or indirectly. ISIS has received a lot of funding from people from
Saudi Arabia including Qatar for example. Members of the coalition include
Britain, France, other European nations, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait,
the United Arab Emirates, etc. Qatar is out of the coalition, but the West
loves its oil resources. Qatar worked with NATO to send funds to bomb Libya,
which was no threat to America either. The West sent money, guns, and mercenaries
to help the Libyan jihadists to defeat Gaddafi, so a new government can exist.
Now, Libya is having a civil war (which is also a proxy war between Saudi
Arabia and its friends and Qatar). So, this situation in the Middle East deals
with wars within wars and regime changes. Saudi Arabia is not readily backing
the Muslim Brotherhood like Qatar has done. ISIS is an Islamic fundamentalist
terrorist group. The West wants a regime change in Syria. A raft of prominent
liberal Democrats voted “yes,” including Xavier Becerra of California, John
Conyers of Michigan, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz
of Florida, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Many ISIS fighters
were trained and army by the CIA, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia as a means for them
to be allowed to try to overthrow the Assad regime since 2011. The President
said that U.S. ground troops will not be in Syria. He wants Iraqi and Kurdish
ground forces to do the fighting. Meanwhile, the well-connected Washington Post
columnist David Ignatius, a frequent mouthpiece for high-level leaks from the
military-intelligence apparatus, wrote a commentary Wednesday under the
headline, “U.S. boots are already on the ground against the Islamic State.” He
cited Title 50 of the US Code, regulating the activities of the CIA, which
allows the president to send US Special Operations forces on military actions
under CIA direction, as in the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 “Let’s be
honest,” Ignatius wrote. “US boots are already on the ground, and more are
coming. The question is whether Obama will decide to say so publicly, or remain
in his preferred role as covert commander in chief.” U.S. military operations
like bombs around Baghdad continue. The Iraqi ground forces are fighting in Anbar
province with U.S. air support. There has been fighting in Ramadi, Fallujah,
and Haditha.

This new ebola epidemic is horrible. Before, ebola mostly
spread and is contained. This time, the ebola virus is spreading much more
quickly into many West African nations. It has killed much more people and it
could spread into Europe or America in a serious level. Therefore, I do believe
that something must be done. African nations have to collaborate more in
developing infrastructure and other services to help our Brothers and our
Sisters. Americans can help, but the U.S. should reject imperialistic designs.
Folks are right that Africom and other entities have all been about expanding
Western hegemony in Africa not liberating African peoples in a revolutionary
fashion. That is true. So, the U.S. must be specific that their funding is used
to help people (via civilian personnel) not colonize people. What matters is
how we treat ourselves and how we understand our own worth and value as black
human beings. I believe in the Golden Rule, but I reject self-hatred and
discrimination. Only a racist and an ignorant person will ignore the great
accomplishments and contributions that black people have made in the four
corners of the Earth. I have read stories of many black children with massive
IQs, black people working on green solutions, and many black engineers
contributing their talents to the betterment of society. I do care about my own
people and our people have fought against injustice irrespective of the
expectations of white society. My black people fought slavery, unjust labor
practices, imperialism, and other evils back then. Black people continue to
fight for freedom today as exemplified by the courageousness of the Brothers
and Sisters of Ferguson. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was not naive about
injustice or racism. Many people want to sanitize Dr. King as an excuse for
them to promote post-racial rhetoric. The truth is that Dr. King by the late
1960's was increasingly radical because he saw how the injustice of the war of
Vietnam was tied to the plight of black people in America. He understood that
black people need economic justice not just laws changed in order for true
liberation to occur. Also, I am not ungrateful of the sacrifices of Dr. King
and other Brothers plus Sisters who fought the good fight. Erica is not
ungrateful of the great sacrifices of our people too. We are both grateful of
heroes like Ella Baker, Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, and others who not only
spoke up, but did action in defense of black people.

Many defenders of Ray Rice’s sick actions say that he was
wrong, BUT. The problem with that erroneous thinking is that there should be no
BUT in the conversation. The conversation should be that Ray Rice was wrong
PERIOD. Also, Ray Rice is a trained boxer as well, so he knows how to inflict
pain to human beings in a specifically brutal fashion. His fiancée was
unconscious by his punch, which is totally unjustifiable. The NFL has dropped
the ball in this situation. This situation not just involves the NFL and the
rest of the sports world. Domestic violence is an epidemic among all corridors
of society. The NFL seems to express reaction to these terrible events by public pressure instead of reacting
out of true sincerity. Any form of domestic violence is antithetical to true
humane TREATMENT. The culture of violence has existed in America from the
events of Columbus’ travels, the Maafa and to domestic violence. One of the
greatest points from one article from another site is how racism and misogyny are linked. You can easily
witness how the vicious racists are misogynists and how black women suffer both
misogyny and racism. As Sister Trojan Pam has written, it is not about being
anti-men, but it is about being pro-justice. In order for us to be truly free,
we have to not only defeat racism, but misogyny as well. We have to discuss
issues honestly and form strategies. Adrian Peterson’s actions are wrong. The
mistreatment of a black child via a tree branch (causing blood, bleeding, bruising,
cuts, etc.) in that fashion is a throwback to how our black ancestors were
whipped by racist whites in America centuries ago. The brutal mistreatment of
children has no place in any society. Now, children should have discipline.
Children need it, especially in our generation. We just don’t need abuse. We
have to treat Brothers and Sisters as human beings not as adversities. We have
to be more wise, control our anger (in the sense of not SHOWING anger at each
other in an evil fashion, but be inspired to make a difference in the world. We
should express indignant anger at oppression), and use constructive solutions.
Physical, sexual, emotional, and other forms of abuse against people should be
called out, exposed, and opposed without question. Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice
must be held accountable for their actions. It is a total shame that Judge Mark
Fuller (who is a white man) could have his record cleaned after he has
committed domestic violence against a woman. He should not be a judge at all.
Not to mention that those in Hollywood, those in the government, those in the
corporate world, etc. have a long history of abuse against innocent human
beings as well. For example, the Tuskegee Experiment, Operation Phoenix,
extrajudicial killings of black people, etc. are all examples of this horrendous
wicked abuse committed by the system of white supremacy. Racists will exploit
the injustices of abuse and domestic violence as a means for them to scapegoat
all black people. The death of the unarmed Brother Michael Brown involved him
being shot by at least six bullets was wrong. It is an example of abuse plus
murder by a police officer. At the final ANALYSIS, we should not only fight
white racism, but we have to improve our own communities too. Domestic violence
(no matter who does it) is wrong.

The PBS documentary series entitled, “The Roosevelts: An
Intimate History” chronicles the lives of Theodore Roosevelt, his niece Eleanor,
and her husband and distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The truth is
known about Theodore Roosevelt. Many people call him a progressive, but he was
not progressive in terms of foreign policy or on racial matters. He said that
nine out of ten Native Americans must be good when they are dead. Real American
history must be discussed. Part of real American history is about how the
descendants of the Mayflower were involved in the genocide of indigenous
peoples of North Americans. Many of the earliest American Presidents like
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison earned their wealth via
slaveholding. Other Presidents submitted to slave holding interests or
protected them. The Roosevelt family had a long history. Theodore Roosevelt’s
mother was pro-confederate. Her father sold slaves in order to pay for her
wedding to Theodore Roosevelt Sr. She actively campaigned against her husband’s
plan to enlist in the Union army while smuggling aid to confederate soldiers’
relatives. We see that Theodore Roosevelt was involved in the Span-American
war, which was an effort to end the Spanish Empire in Cuba, but it caused Cuba
to be once a vassal of the United States. Also, the U.S. forced the Philippines
and Puerto Rico to be American territories.
In fact, from 1901 to 1911, the United States killed more than 250,000
people in the Philippines. The Philippines became independent by a huge amount
of resistance to Western occupation. Panama was a Colombian territory until
President Roosevelt encouraged a revolt. Later, Panama became a new,
independent nation and the construction of the Panama Canal came about more
swiftly. First as Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1898 and then as vice
president and president, Roosevelt made clear that he lusted for death on a
mass scale. “I should welcome almost any war, for I think this country needs
one,” Roosevelt opined. He said that war stimulated “spiritual renewal” and
[emphasis mine] “the clear instinct for racial selfishness.” He defended the
imperial project in the Philippines by declaring Filipinos “Chinese half-b___s”
and surmised that the bloodshed was “the most glorious war in our nation’s
history.” Theodore Roosevelt also said that he wanted white people to make more
babies, so that they could conquer the people of color in the world. We know
how George Washington took teeth form other human beings (or black slaves, who
suffered excruciating experiences). We don’t need hero worship of white
supremacists, slave traders, and imperialists at all.

The observation in your opening sentence is spot on. Frantz Fanon after a mission in West Africa prodded traditionalist elements within the Algerian NLF, demanding to know why many of them wanted to sequester women despite the invaluable public roles Algerian women were playing in the Revolution. When they appealed to Islamic traditions, he retorted that he had just been to Guinea, Mali and Senegal where African women are to be found in the marketplace, in public life operating quite freely. Those women--and their MEN--are all Muslims! At one point he angirly retorted "Do you REALLY want a REVOLUTION, or do you just want to get rid of the French. There is a difference, you know!"
-Savant

___________________

As is often the case, I think that the term "Nazi" is used a bit too loosely by you. But with regard to France, there's NO CHANCE in hell that the Islamic reactionaries can take power in France. That is danger I fear for our brethren in the Middle East. Real fascism fashioned out of the clothe of the most reactionary elements in Western culture is POSSIBLE in the West. As far as OUR own freedom and security in America or Europe, Muslim extremist frighten me on account of the fact that those loons down mind setting off a car bomb or some other loony act. I'm NOT afraid that they will form an Islamicist fascist state in America or Europe. But their sporadic acts of violence may instigate increasingly repressive measures by our own ruling class. The erosion of democratic liberties can mean fascism. Theocratic fascism of the Islamic sort can't happen here, in France, or any other part of Europe. It can't happen in Latin America. Only our beleaguered neighbors in the Middle East are confronted with that. And I have little doubt that our fascists and theirs may end up collaborating hand-in-glove. Now as far as attacks on the Jewish PEOPLE are concerned (or ANY people for that matter), it absolutely cannot be tolerated. As far as the state of Israel is concerned, I see it as like any other national state. It has a right to exist, but is as subject to criticism--includi ng at times quite harsh criticism---as any other state. No more, no less. Just as I do not consider the criticism of Black African or Caribbean state as automatically an expression of anti-Black racism (even if that is a motivation of SOME critics), I do not consider criticisms of Israel as automatically anti-Semitic (though that's a motivation of SOME of its critics) No one--not Jew, Arab, Black, white, Latin, male, female, gay or straight--gets an automatic pass. And yet the rights of EVERYONE must be held as inviolable.

-Savant

____________

One thing I think we need to promote as part of the revolutionary process is the formation of communes and cooperatives. That is, we need to begin creating cooperative institutions which become the negation of capitalism even before capitalism is utterly vanquished. Cooperatives can only exist by means of democratic governance. And they're accessible to poor, working class and middle class folk.

-Savant

________________________________________

Je pense que jihadisme politique est un type de fascisme, mais il n'est pas un sort de fascism qui peux gagner pouvoir a l'Europe ou l'Amerique. Le fascisme dans un societe depends on cultural traditions native to that country. Hence Mussolini could invoke the Roman Empire or the Crusades, Franco invokes great Spanish kings and symbols of right wing Catholicism, Hitler invokes images of Teutonic knights, etc. Jihadisme would invoke cultural symbols native to the Muslim world. If fully empowered politically it would be a Middle Eastern form of fascism. A l'Europe l'image de l'Islam militant would be invoke to create the fear that would make more possible a Western fascism. In short, Islam would serve a purpose somewhat like Communism decades ago--justification for chilling dissent and possibly establishing fascism in the West.

-Savant

____________________

By the way, you might find interesting the Sept. 15, 2014 edition of THE NATION. Special edition on "The Fight for Racial Justice." Take note of the interview ofAngela Davis, and the article by Paula Giddings called "Unfinished Revolutions." And there is talk of the "Dream Defenders" and other youthful groups engaged in activism. As you're only 30 you might fit in well with these millennial insurgents. I have worked with youth groups like the ALGEBRA PROJECT, and have been asked to support a young activist group called LEADERS OF A BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE. Some of my students (including members of our Philosophy Club) are becoming increasingly active. I commend you younger freedom fighters. May you live and PROSPER, and at least SOME of us middle age folk got your back.
-Savant
_________________

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Monday, September 15, 2014

From 1,000 to 500 B.C., the Middle East saw the growth of imperial powers following one another in succession. There was the Assyrian Empire, then the Babylonians, and the Medes grew. The Persian Empire grew to be a very strong powerful Empire. The Persian Empire was the largest state in the history of the ancient world before Alexander the Great’s Empire. It covered all of the Middle East, parts of India, Central Asia, Egypt, and Asia Minor (or Turkey). The Persians allowed the Jewish people to return to Israel from Babylonia. Previously, the Assyrians and the Babylonians re-settled conquered peoples throughout their territories. This caused old languages to end and Aramean was once the main lingua-franca of the region. A simple to learn alphabet greatly stimulated international trade and inter regional communication. The Lydians, Phrygians, and Ionian Greeks of Asia Minor including the Phoenicians (who by this time traveled into North Africa. Their trade extended into Spain and as far as Great Britain) were under one regime of the Persians. Mesopotamian areas reached new heights and Arabian kingdoms grew in Saudi Arabia. Soon, the Middle East was conquered by the Greco-Macedonian Empire. Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, had an ego and wanted to conquer the whole world. He didn’t, but he conquered a wide spectrum of territories. He, his generals, and his soldiers were involved in a campaign that formed an empire from Greece to India. When Alexander the Great died young, his generals with some local princes divided the lands amongst themselves. These rulers and their descendants became the Ptolemies in Egypt, the Seleucids in Syria, Mesopotamia and Iran, and other dynasties in Asia Minor cam about (which was Greek city states and other areas like Armenia, Media, Pontus, etc.). Greek culture mixed with Middle Eastern culture became Hellenistic culture. Greek architecture and art spread across the ancient world, but Greek culture was heavily influenced by African and Middle Eastern culture too. In the Middle East, there was the area of Judaea where Hebrews lived. From 200 to 30 B.C., the Middle East was heavily ruled by the Roman Empire, the Parthian Empire, the Scythian Empire, and the Arabian Kingdoms.

The Afro-Uruguayan people have been rarely discussed in many circles. Now, information about them should be readily known in the world. Afro-Uruguayans have made great contributions in the world. They have suffered unjust enslavement and now they are fighting for genuine equality and justice to this very day. They have formed organizations like Mundo Afro as a means for them to lobby the national government to recognize its black minority as an equal member of the national community. Afro-Uruguayans continue to face pervasive discrimination and racial prejudice. We know about the nations where the African Diaspora exists in Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, the United States, etc. Yet, we have to learn about the African Diaspora in the South American republic of Uruguay as well. Uruguay is a nation that had almost 600,000 European immigrants between 1880 and 1930. Most of its citizens consider themselves as white. Yet, like in many other Latin American countries, there has been an upsurge in black civic and political mobilizations. Organizations such as Mundo Afro (Afro World), the Asociación Cultural y Social Uruguay Negro, the Centro Cultural por la Paz y la Integración, Africanía, and others have demanded that the nation of Uruguayans acknowledge its black past and present. They want to work toward the full integration of its black and indigenous minorities into national life. There was the black mobilization occurring in the early 1800’s. There was the salas de nacion or the mutual aid societies organized on the basis of the members’ African origin. Montevideo is Uruguay’s capital. It was once a required port of call for slave ships brining African to the Rio de la Plata region. Most of those Africans continued on to Argentina, but during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s some 20,000 disembarked in Montevideo and remained in Uruguay. By 1800, the national population was an estimated 25 percent African and Afro-Uruguayan.

There is a list from the 1830’s of 13 salas de nacion in Montevideo that shows 6 from West Africa, 5 from the Congo and Angola, and 2 from East Africa. The salas bought or rented plots of land outside the city walls, on which they built headquarters to house their religious observances, meetings, and dances. They collected money for emancipation funds to buy the freedom of slave members, lobbied public officials, and provided assistance in disputes and conflicts between slaves and their owners. Free and slave Africans including Afro-Uruguayans served in the independence wars of the 1810’s and 20s. They fought in the civil wars of the 1830’s, 1940’s, and the second half of the 1800’s. The Afro-Uruguayans fought for full civic and legal equality for centuries as guaranteed by the Constitution of 1830. Black journalists between 1870 and 1950 formed at least 25 newspapers and magazines in Montevideo and other cities. This compares to between forty and fifty black-oriented periodicals during the same period in Brazil, where the black population is today some 400 times larger than Uruguay’s; and fourteen in Cuba (black population twenty times larger than Uruguay’s). This strong journalism of the Afro-Uruguayan people caused their economic and educational achievements to grow. Uruguay grew its literacy and educational system. Still, discrimination and prejudice prevented black people in Uruguay to have true freedom. During the 1980’s and 90’s, Uruguay saw a new wave of black civil mobilization. Mundo Afro was created in 1988. The struggle continues and we are in solidarity of the Afro-Uruguayan people, their culture, and their human rights.

Bradley Ballard’s death was a tragedy and an injustice. Bradley Ballard never deserved to be treated in that fashion at all. Animals have been treated much worse than Bradley Ballard and that is a total shame. To crooked cops and racists, black human life doesn’t matter. Yet, that perspective is a total life. The truth is that black human life does matter and when they have mistreated Brother Bradley Ballard, they have attacked the dignity of all of us. Obviously, the family Bradley Ballard should sue. Those with mental illness have to be treated better not only in America, but throughout the Earth. The dignity of people has to be respected. The family is suffering immeasurable pain and suffering because of the incomprehensible neglect that has been executed by Rikers prison authorities. Any prison authority member involved in the neglect of this man should be punished outright. RIP Bradley Ballard. When many witnesses tell similar stories and many of these witnesses don't know each other or know who Michael Brown was, then that is more than enough reason for an arrest of Wilson to take place. They have spoken about how he had his hands up and the cop still killed him. Some people using the tactic of discrediting the witnesses will not work, because these witnesses come from different areas, but their stories share cohesiveness and similarities with each other. One witness said that Michael Brown said OK repeatedly and the officer murdered him afterwards. The new video show a person said that the shooting was unjustified and other words as well. The people of Ferguson have every right to protest and outline their legitimate grievances. Michael Brown, as said by many witnesses, was not coming back to the officer full speed at all. The Sister Piaget should be treated with dignity and respect. There must be accountability and I am in favor of justice. People should have standards and character. Life is a journey and people need real teaching as a means to conduct themselves in the best possible way. No matter who does domestic violence, it is wrong. Men and women should treat each other as human beings. When we have discussions like these and do constructive action in solving our issues, then that is very important in enriching our community in general. We should build, learn from each other, and WORK TOGETHER as a community and as a family. Any abuse is evil. Others who promote divisive rhetoric, deception, and slanders will reap what they will sow. That is why when we will continue to advance righteousness and justice, and then we will have more blessings. You and others have shown excellent truths and wisdom like usual.

The two members of the popular K-POP band Ladies’ Code lost their lives tragically in a car crash on September 3rd. Like always, we send prayers and condolences to their families and friends. Their last video depicted them flirting with death. The K-POP industry of course has blatant symbolism and mind control references as these things are found throughout the mainstream entertainment industry. K-POP is based in South Korea. Their video called “Hate You” had mind control references and other disturbing imagery. The video shows the singers as puppets with strings controlled by unseen handlers. In the video there are dolls all around. Some interpret this as multiple personalities. There are markings on the wall in the video. This refers to forced confinement. A butterfly flashed for a split second. This image is similar to the Monarch Programming. Two members of the group died in a violent car crash. They were returning to the South Korean capital after filming a TV appearance in the southeastern city of Daegu. The camera inside of the van (where the musicians were in before they crashed) had been sent to the National Forensic Service. Singer EunB lost her life at the crash site while RiSe passed away a few days later, after hours of intensive surgery. Shortly after the car crash, a few strange facts surfaced, causing some observers to believe that the van used by Ladies’ Code was sabotaged. First, the van was not the group’s usual vehicle but a rental that was “used for the first time”. Second, the airbags did not deploy. Finally, a wheel completely flew off from the vehicle. This is a rare occurrence, especially with recent vehicles. One of the wheels completely flew off the vehicle. The lyrics of the song Kiss Kiss overtly talks about kissing. That video begins with members of Ladies’ Code visiting a dead man lying inside of a casket. The girls oddly act as if they are attracted to him. Later in the video, each member visits the dead guy and attempt to kiss him (why?). When EunB (one of the two singers who died in the car crash) visits the man, he gets up and kisses her. In another scene, EunB is shown sitting in front of a target while arrows are shot at her. She covers up one eye in the scene too. The scene is inspired by Guilaume Tell and she seems to not appreciate the event like she was forced into it. Death is represented by the use of a poison. The other scenes deal with images of a Pentagram looking similar to the Seal of Solomon, pulling the plug, and other disturbing images. So, we should know the truth and the truth is that symbolism and messages are found in numerous music videos. We should use discernment, strength, and courage to stand up for real wisdom.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

The situation with ISIS is complex. It deals with irony too. The same terrorists that the West and its allies (found in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc.) has funded (e.g. the U.S. gave aid to many terrorists to fight in Syria and Libya), are some of the same terrorists that the West wants to destroy. America wants Saudi Arabia’s help, but Saudi Arabia has beheaded a lot of people just like ISIS has done. ISIS was created by al-Qaeda in response to Shia hegemony in Iraq. ISIS is a reactionary group that is trying to appeal to the Sunnis. There has been U.S. airstrikes in Yemen and Somalia, yet the crisis found in the war on terror CONTINUES. There is no solution to this problem unless the nations in the Middle East take a leadership role in solving the problem. The neo-cons are just extremists by wanting even U.S. troops to come into Syria and Iraq in high numbers as a means to fight ISIS. We know how the war on terror and other imperialist policies has financially benefited the ruling class and the military industrial complex not the masses of the people. Ultimately, a long term political solution is needed. ISIS came about as a result of the violence unleased by U.S. imperialism. We see that the establishment among both Democrats and Republicans want to execute new war policies in the Middle East. ISIS people are extremists and they were created by Western imperialism. The West has been bombing Iraq for almost 25 years. After the initiation of the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Iraq, Washington used divide and conquer policies. These policies stroke sectarian divisions and hatreds among Sunni and Shia Muslims. The war machine can only add to the suffering and violence. ISIS committed evil and unjustified beheadings of captured journalists. ISIS has murdered ethnic and religious minorities. The reactionary ISIS group wants a caliphate in the world. The U.S. imperialists are using the evil acts of ISIS as a pretext to increase military intervention by U.S. forces, strengthening reactionary allies in the region, increasing Pentagon spending, growing the Big Brother surveillance state, etc. Double standards and hypocrisy exist in this situation. ISIS has killed thousands of people in Iraq and Syria, but the U.S. government has killed millions in Iraq alone in over 20 years. Iraq went from a developing industrial society to one of the poorest and most violent countries in the world. ISIS is made up of fanatical fundamentalists who hate dissent among even Muslims, but reactionaries in America like the neo-cons abhor dissent too. ISIS targets journalists and Egypt (an U.S. ally) has prosecuted ad jailed journalists too). Even American ally Saudi Arabia has beheaded hundreds of people per year. Among the "crimes" punishable by beheading in Saudi Arabia are blasphemy, adultery, drug smuggling, sedition, sorcery and witchcraft--though authorities may order those accused of adultery to be stoned to death. BUT MAYBE the rankest hypocrisy of all is this: The U.S. is preparing to go to war against an enemy it brought to life and allowed to flourish, directly and indirectly--not once, not twice, but many times. Islamophobia is still here too. That is why rational people want diplomacy and other political solutions to solve the complication.

Certainly, 9/11 is a day of reflection. Every day since 9/11, I think about 9/11. I never stopped thinking about 9/11 every single day since 9/11. I was almost 18 years old when 9/11 took place. This day is certainly a time of reflection, of inspiration, and of the promotion of the call to fight for justice even stronger. Many evil people want to exploit 9/11 as a means for them to promote the violations of people’s civil liberties, imperialism, militarized police in local communities, bigotry, and other evils. Yet, compassionate people will always want to show a great deal of compassion, solidarity, and support to the families of the victims. Also, we should honor the heroes of 9/11 too, who risked their lives to save people, and did amazing acts of service too during that horrendous time. We should always help fellow human beings as a means for us to give tribute to the victims of 9/11. When you serve others for the betterment of humanity, then that is a blessing. Courtney’s Father was one of the heroes of 9/11 who saved lives in New York City during that day. Her father was an amazing man. Courtney is an amazing Sister too. 9/11 was about terrorism. Our history shows terrorism done by white supremacists for years and centuries. Imperialists have use imperialism against the Philippines, Guam, Samoa, Hawaii, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, and other areas. For over 13 years, we have seen not only war, but we have seen occupation, sanctions, and the destruction of the Middle East. Nation after nation has seen bombs, colonization, exploitation, and control by Western interests. In the homeland, the state have used anti-civil liberty policies to target Muslims, African Americans, other people of color, immigrants, the homeless, and working Americans. We don’t know everything that happened during 9/11, but we know enough to realize that the official story of 9/11 is completely a fabrication. Then Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Dick Cheney “apparently confirmed a stand-down order” prior to an alleged plane striking the Pentagon. The 9/11 whitewash Commission deleted Mineta’s comment from its official report. We know that Afghanistan and Iraq collectively had no involved in the 9/11 attacks at all. We see that 9/11 was exploited to promote American imperium and for the West to try to control Eurasia’s vast oil, gas, and other resources. The war on terror provides enormous profits for Wall Street. It gives CIA access to billions of dollars in illicit drug money. Occupied Afghanistan gives America a strategically located land-based aircraft carrier. It’s part of Washington’s plan to encircle Russia and China with bases. Constitutional rights are vanishing in plain sight. The Patriot Act alone eliminated fundamental freedoms. Nancy Chang once asked “(w)hat’s so patriotic about trampling on the Bill of Rights?” So, we have the right to oppose police state policies and oppression. 9/11 should inspire all of us to help people and advocate justice.

I stand by every syllable that I have written on this issue relating to Ferguson. My mindset is not in favor of the status quo. Obviously, some like the reactionaries want people like me to agree with them. I have the right not to agree with them. Also, the deaths of Aiyana Jones, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Renisha McBride, etc. all transpired in the 21st century not in 1954. Just because we live in the 21st century doesn’t mean that we live in a post racial world.
People have the right to expose racism and economic oppression. Also, many black people are not in poverty, so your statement about black people is stereotypical and bigoted. Some black people have opportunities, but black people are not totally free from oppression. People in Ferguson have been abused and mistreated by the police. Some can ignore that, but I will not. Innocent protesters have been harmed by the police. Some can ignore that, but I will not. No one is playing a card. People are outlining reality. Black people have every right to express their voices and expose evil. No one is ignoring crime and other things in the black community. I don’t agree with innocent human life or innocent property harmed. For decades, black people have talked about, exposed, and protested the black on black crime and other ills in our communities. People just ignore that as an excuse to promote the false narrative that black people collectively don’t care about the interests of our people. Also, the crime rate in the black community has declined since 1970. DRUG ABUSE and other crimes exist nationwide in communities of numerous backgrounds. People want justice and that has nothing to do with divisiveness at all. The problem with many reactionary statements is that they ignore how many cops don’t work hard, ignore the law, and have no faith in the humanity of black people. That is the point. Some black people are poor and they work hard every day, they obey the law, etc. Yet, they are scapegoated for the evil actions of the few. It is not enough to tell people to get moral (I have no issue with people having ethics, integrity, and morality in their lives). The police should be held accountable for their actions. Policies must change. There must be more accountability. People should treat their neighbor as themselves. Yet, that should never be used as an excuse to ignore or degrade the legitimate grievances of the people of Ferguson. Also, there is nothing wrong with peaceful protests at all. That is part of the freedom of speech.

AmaRece is a Brother doing something positive with his life. We should promote conservation and environmental issues. At the end of the day, we need a cleaner world as a means for society to improve. That is just plain commonsense. He is taking his time, he is being proactive by setting up a recycling PROGRAM, and he is conscious about many other environmental matters. It is a fact that many big corporations (like BP, etc.) have been involved in massive pollution spanning a long time. We also need to promote more healthy foods like organic foods, fruits, vegetables, etc. that can enrich the lives of humanity. Taking care of the environment and showing true respect for the biosphere is a great necessity, especially in this generation. I wish the best for the Brother. We need unique solutions to solve the problems in our communities. This story shows the strength, the intellect, and the diversity of our people. Pharrell has the right to speak his mind. People have the right to agree or disagree with him. I have no issue with the President going down into Ferguson to speak truth to power. The situation in Ferguson is a culmination of many things. Basically, the oppression of black people in Ferguson for years and decades has been ignored. When the residents in Ferguson courageously executed rebellion against the New Jim Crow, against police brutality, against class oppression, and against racism in general, then we can use this situation as motivation for us to establish revolutionary change in society. Conscious people already know that the police have occupied communities for years and decades. At the end of the day, we have to be part of the solutions. The police should not be militarized in our communities. Unique ways of growing economic and political power must be in the hands of the people (via mobilization and organization of independent groups). Black people have every right to stand up for freedom. Police brutality must be opposed and justice must be done in response to the tragedy of Michael Brown’s death. Anyone involved in the harassment, abuse, and harm done to innocent protesters, journalists, etc. should be held accountable. We should be upright, but that is not enough. We need justice too. Poverty must be addressed since we face racism and economic oppression. So, the whole structure of society must be changed, so justice can be a reality.

Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah has a lot of architectural imagery. It is the spiritual, cultural, and administrative center of the Mormon faith. The land has ten acres. It also includes a Temple, a domed tabernacle, and numerous buildings plus memorials. The Mormons view this location as holy and wholesome. The truth is that many Mormons do good works, but their religion was created not by Jesus Christ, but by Joseph Smith. Then and now, Mormonism is made up of controversies. The images show occult, pagan, and Masonic symbols. The Temple acts as the heart architecturally of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. It is surrounded by many structures. It is said to accomplish the same functions as the ancient Temple of Jerusalem. The exterior of the Temple has many symbols that relate to ancient paganism. The upright pentagram is found all over the Temple Square. An upright pentagram has many different interpretations as symbols have multiple levels of meaning. Historically, some scholars define the upright pentagram as related to the Golden Proportion, or the divine spirit on the lower nature of man. The upside down pentagram has many meanings as well. The walls of the Temple show sun stones, the phases of the moon, and stars (in the form of inverted pentagram). The Mystery religions have such imagery. Freemasons use such sun symbols on their monuments as well. The All Seeing Eye is found on the façade of the Temple. In Freemasonry, the All Seeing Eye is representative of the Great Architect of the Universe. Freemason Joseph Smith invented Mormonism, so Freemasonry and Mormonism have many similarities (as documented by researchers, scholars, and theologians). The secret handshake image is found on the Temple too. Like Freemasons, Mormons have secret handshakes in their initiation process. The handshake image is found in the façade of the Temple. Masonic buildings and monuments engrave image of the secret handshake too. On top of the handshake image in the Temple, the words “I am Alpha and Omega” is found. These words are taken from the book of Revelation. That phrase means that He (or the Christian Messiah Yeshua) is the beginning and the end. There are other images found in the Temple as well.

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About Me

I'm a young adult learning new information and finding the truth. Over the years, I'm becoming more meek. I will still defend my beliefs though when it is necessary. I am 33 years old now. I like living in Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads is apart of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. I live in the 7 city group of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Yorktown, Williamsburg, Glocuster, Cape Charles, Elizabeth City, Currituck, Sussex, and Poquoson are apart of Hampton Roads as well. So, I don't forget those important places as well. I enjoy looking at religious information, conspiracy fact information, and politics. Additionally, History is a subject that I delve into. If you have any comments and questions, you can email me at truthseeker2436577@yahoo.com. I'm usually very apt to respond to emails easily. This is a non-censorship blog so your comments will never be censored here.